Typographical casting machine



Dec. 28, 1954 P. HILPMAN 2,693,080

TYPOGRAPHICAL CASTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 11, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN 70/? A TTOR/V P. HILFMAN TYPOGRAPHICAL CASTING MACHINE Dec, 28, 1954 4Sheets-Sheet Filed Aug. 11, 1950 ATTORNEYS INVENTOR Dec. 28, 1954 I P.HILPMAN I 2,698,080

TYPOGRAPHICAL CASTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 11, 1950 4 She ets-Sheet 5 INVE N TOR @OWLQ "WW MM 84%52 Dec. 28, 1954 HlLPMAN 7 2,698,080

TYPOGRAPHICAL CASTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 11, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 iiiINVENTOR OVVL aha 3 M ATTORNEYS United States Patent TYPOGRAPHICALCASTING MACHINE Paul Hilpman, Garden City, N. Y., assignor toMergenthaler Linotype Company, a corporation of New York ApplicationAugust 11, 1950, Serial No. 178,829

2 Claims. (Cl. 199-50) This invention relates to quadding and centeringdevices for typographical casting machines and more particularly todevices of the type disclosed in the Frolander Patent No. 1,971,400, theHilpman Patent No. 2,255,254, and the Krusberger application Serial No.116,700, filed September 20, 1949, now U. S. Patent No. 2,642,180. TheKrusberger application is directed to the latest improvements embodiedin the commercial devices.

in these quadding and centering devices, the-jaws are moved into contactwith the composed line by a vertically movable rod which is locked inits downwardly moved position by means of a series of detents actuatedby the melting pot as it is swung into casting position. After casting,the locking detents are released by the upward movement of the firstelevator and the jaws then restored to their original positions ofmaximum separation by the vertically movable rod. This rod is operatedby two different cams on the main shaft, one of which effects the jawclosing and opening movements, and the other of which applies asupplemental pressure to the jaws to urge them inwardly from their linecontacting positions to squeeze the line tight enough to insure thestraightening and complete sidewise contact of all matrices composedtherein as well as to straighten up the jaws so that their matrixengaging faces make complete contact with the side faces of the endmatrices.

The present invention presents two additional improvements upon priordevices: According to one, the line squeezing pressure is maintained fora longer period than before in order to avoid any endwise shifting ofthe composed line with reference to the slug after the castingoperation, and according to the other, the line squeezing pressure,instead of being released abruptly as before, is released momentarilybefore being released in order to maintain the jaws in wiping contactwith the end matrices as the composed line is lifted from between thejaws. These improvements will best be understood from the detaileddescription which follows.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the jaw operating mechanism, showing thetwo cams in inactive positions;

Fig. 2 is a similar view but showing the cams in action;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the jaws, the vertically movable rod, and thelocking detents during a quadding operation with the right-hand jaw;

Fig. 4 is a detail view, on a greatly enlarged scale, of the linesqueeze mechanism as modified according to the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a detail front view of the locking detents under line squeezepressure;

Fig. 6 is a detail side view of the parts shown in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the line being liftedfrom between the jaws under relaxed (but not released) line squeezepressure.

The matrices 1 are composed in line in an assembler in the usual way andtransferred to a vertically movable transporter or first elevator 3,which thereupon descends to position the line between the left-hand jaw4 and the right-hand jaw 5 (see Figs. 3 and 7) and in front of a slottedmold (not shown). The mold then advances from the rear into contact withthe composed line and with the two jaws preparatory to the slug castingoperation. Thereafter, the mouthpiece of the melting pot not shown) isadvanced from the rear into contact with the rear face of the mold andmolten metal then injected into the mold for the casting of the slugagainst the composed line.

2,698,080 Patented Dec. 28, 1954 7 After the slug has been cast, themelting pot is moved rearwardly out of contact with the mold and thelatter likewise moved rearwardly out of contact with the composed line,whereupon the mold is carried around from its horizontal castingposition to a vertical ejecting position, the first elevator in themeantime being raised to deliver the composed line to the matrixdistributing devices and finally coming to rest in its original or linerece1v1ng posltlon.

As more fully shown and described in the Frolander patent above referredto, the two jaws 4 and 5 are mounted for movement in the vise frame inthe customary manner, being carried by supporting blocks slidable insuitable guideways formed in the vise frame, and are movable toward andfrom each other by a periodically operated part in the form of avertically movable rod 11 which may be connected at its upper end to therespective jaws through the medium of two small but oppositely disposedbell crank levers 12 and 13 pivoted at 14 and 15 to the vise frame, thelonger arms of said levers being connected by short links 16 and 17 tothe supporting blocks for the respective jaws, and the shorter arms ofsaid levers being arranged for connection to or disconnection from therod 11. According to this arrangement, when the rod 11 is moveddownwardly from its uppermost position (which is its normal position ofrest), it will move the two jaws equidistantly toward each other(assuming both to be connected to the rod) until they contact with theopposite ends of the composed line which has previously been positionedbetween them, and when the rod is moved upwardly for restoration to itsposition of rest, it will in like manner move the jaws equidistantlyaway from each other to return them to their original positions ofmaximum separation. Since the composed lines positioned between the jawsmay vary in length, the actual extent of movement of the rod 11 will ofcourse vary accordingly and hence provision is made for such variedmovement of the rod in its actuating connections in the usual way.

As also more fully shown and described in the Frolander patent, asuitable device in the nature of a segmental grooved member 18 isprovided at the upper end of the rod 11 for connecting the jaws thereto,this grooved member being adjustable by a handle 19 through a rack andpinion arrangement 20 so as selectively to connect either or both of thejaws to the rod as desired for quadding at either end of the line, orfor centering, or for regular machine operation. The handle 19 and theactuating connections thus constitute means for conditioning the machinefor a quadding or regular machine operation, as may be desired.

The rod 11 is slidable in upper and lower bearings in the vise frame andis operated through a train of connections, indicated generally by thereference numeral 26, from an edge cam B fast to the main shaft A of themachine. This cam B, which makes one complete rotation at each'cycle ofoperation of the machine, acts to move the rod first downwardly toefiect the inward or closing movement of the jaws and then upwardly toeifect the outward or separating movement of the jaws.

A locking device is provided to hold the rod 11 in its downwardly movedposition during a quadding or centering operation. The locking deviceherein shown is the same as the improved type of device fullyillustrated and described in the Krusberger application above referredto, comprising a plurality of pawls or detents disposed horizontally oneupon another in vertical stack formation and enclosed within a box orcage 41. The detents are each formed at their rear ends with a series ofuniformly spaced rack teeth for engagement with similar but oppositelydisposed rack teeth 42 formed directly in the rod 11. The teeth 42extend practically throughout the length of the rod 11 or, in any event,for a distance equal to the full extent of movement of the rod forquadding or centering.

Normally, or when the locking mechanism is inactive, the cage 41 is heldin a forward position, with all the detents in alinement and with theirteeth clear of the teeth on the rod 11.- However, when the lockingmechanism is operated, the cage 41 is pushed rearwardly to engage one oranother of the detents with the rod 11, thatparticular detent being theone whose teeth will accurately mesh with the rack teeth on the rod andthe others (whose teeth do not so mesh) being permitted to yield withreference to the cage.

The cage 41 is mounted for such backward and forward movements in ahousing 43 which contains the upper bearing for the rod 11. At itsforward end, the housing 43 is provided with a fixed nut (not shown)into which is threaded a short rotatable screw (not shown) having aswivel connection to the cage 41. When the screw is rotated in onedirection the cage 41 will be forced rearwardly to engage the detentswith the rod 11, whereas when the screw is rotated in the oppositedirection the cage will be drawn forwardly to disengage the detents fromthe rod.

As fully shown and described in the Krusberger application, the lockingmechanism, instead of being operated by the jaw moving mechanism (as inthe Frolander and Hilpman patents mentioned), is operated by independentmechanism which includes two sets of connections, one set actuated bythe melting pot as it is swung into casting position and which effectsthe locking action before casting, and the other set actuated by thefirst elevator as it is moved upwardly from casting position and whicheffects the unlocking action after casting.

Both sets of connections include a double-armed lever 50 pinned to theforward end of the above-mentioned screw. At one end, the lever 50 isconnected to a vertical link 51, which forms part of the pot-actuatedconnections, and at its opposite end, it is formed with a cam plate 70which is arranged to be engaged and actuated by a finger 75 carried bythe first elevator. After casting, when the first elevator movesupwardly to lift the composed line from between the jaws fordistribution, the finger 75, by its engagement with the cam plate 70,will effect the disengagement of the locking detents from the verticallymovable rod. This action is timed to take place before the composed linehas moved entirely clear of the clamping jaws (see Fig. 7), the purposebeing to delay the disengagement of the locking detents from the roduntil after the latter, in the manner presently to be described, isallowed to rise slightly in relaxing the pressure of the jaws on thecomposed line.

As in the Krusberger application, the locking detent cage 41 is mountedin the bushing 43 not only for a rearward and forward movement, as abovedescribed, but also for a limited vertical or upward and downwardmovement with reference thereto. Normally, the cage 41 is held in itsupward position within the housing by a springactuated plunger (notshown) enclosed within the housing 43. The downward movement of the cageis effected after the detents have been engaged with the verticallymovable rod 11 and consequently is imparted to said rod in order toforce the clamping jaws inward from their line contacting positions tosqueeze the line before the casting operation. The mechanism employedfor the purpose is substantially the same as that more fully shown anddescribed in both the Krusberger application and the Hilpman patent, butsince it is this mechanism with which the present invention is primarilyconcerned, it will be shown and described herein, comprising afore-and-aft slide 90 having a pin and slot connection with the housing43 at one side thereof. The rear end of the slide 90 is hook-shaped tocooperate with a hooked plate 92 carried .by a spring-actuated link 93controlled, through a pivoted lever 93, by a cam C on the main carnshaft A of the machine. At its forward end, the slide 90 is bent toprovide a lip d4 arranged to engage in front of a cam arm 95 pivotallysuspended from the free end of a lever 96 pivoted at 97 to the housing43 at the sideopposite that on which the slide 90 is located. The lever96 overlies the housing 43 and is formed with a lug which passes throughthe top of the housing and bears upon the uppermost detent within thecage 41. The cam arm 95' engages a roller 98 mounetd on a fixed pinbetween the housing and a strap 99 which holds the arm against sidewisemovement.

Accordnig to this arrangement, when the slide 90 .is moved rearwardly bythe link 93 (which is actuated by a powerful spring), the lip 94 engagesand rocks the cam arm 95 'which,.by its engagement with the roller 98,draws .the lever .96 downwardly to apply the full downward pressure ofthe actuating connections to the locking detents and "through them tothe rod 11 (see Figs. 2, 3, 6 and 7). After the casting operation, andwhen the operating link 93 is restored to its original position undercam control, a spring exercises itself to draw the slide forward andallow the cam arm to rock back to its original position as the lever 96is raised by the locking detents in response to the upward pressure ofthe spring plunger within the housing (see Fig. 1). It is this upwardmovement of the locking detents which releases the pressure on thecomposed line while they are still engaged with the rod 11 and beforethe first elevator lifts the line from between the clamping jaws.

Coming now to the present invention, it is first pointed out that thehigh concentrac track C of the cam C, as compared to prior arrangements,has been extended at its trailing end from the point x to the point x inFig. 4, which means that the full line squeeze pressure exerted on therod 11 through the connections above described will be maintained for alonger period than before. This prolonged period has been fixed withreference to the time the mold is moved rearwardly out of contact withthe composed line, that is to say, the extended portion of the cam trackwill cause the jaws to maintain full pressure on the line until afterthe mold has been backed off. In this way, there can be no endwisemovement of the matrices with reference to the slug contained in themold until after the type characters have been withdrawn from the matrixcavities. Heretofore, the high track of the cam has terminated at thepoint x, dropping off abruptly as indicated by the dotted line x andreleasing the line squeeze pressure before the retreat of the mold. Aswill be evident, any shifting of the matrices or spacebands in thecomposed line while the latter is still in contact with the cast slugwill mar the type characters or even shear them off.

It is next pointed out that the cam track C instead of dropping offabruptly as heretofore, has been further extended at its trailing end bythe addition of a shoe D presenting a supplemental cam track C which isjoined to the main cam track by a short sloping'surface C The depth ofthe supplemental cam track C in relation to the main cam track C isregulated so that, while the line squeeze pressure is relaxed. it. isnot completely released. The amount of relaxation is such that the jawswill not be allowed to back off out of contact with the end matrices inthe composed line but, on the contrary, will still be held under aslightly relaxed pressure in contact with the end matrices, this actionbeing timed to take place just before and for a short period after thefirst elevator has started on its upward movement to carry the line frombetween the jaws (see Fig. 7). In this way, the jaws and the endmatrices are maintained in wiping contact to dislodge any adhering typemetal.

As the cam follower 93 (on the lever 93) runs off the supplemental camtrack C it travels alone a gradual sloping surface C allowing the linesqueeze pressure to be gradually relaxed but not completely releaseduntil after the composed line has been carried upwardly beyond the jaws.Hence, any sudden expansion of the line (due for instance to bentmatrices) will be taken care of while the jaws are still locked againstseparation. Once the cam follower 93 passes beyond the surface C thelocking detents will be released by the finger 75 (see again Fig. 7) andthe rod 11 then raised in the usual. way to restore the jaws to theiroriginal position of maximum separation.

As shown in Fig. 4-, the shoe D is radially adjustable on the cam C inorder to vary the amount of relaxation of pressure, as controlled by thesupplemental cam track C to meet dififerent conditions. To this end, theshoe is formed with an elongated slot D through which passes a clampingscrew D The length of the slot D will control the extent of the radialadjustment of the shoe. A compression spring D housed within the shoe,tends to push the shoe radially outward. The spring is confined withinthe recess'by head of a belt D which is justable to vary the tension ofthe spring.

It is obvious that, if no adjustment were desired, the supplemental camtrack C could be formed integral with the cam C.

The invention has been shown in preferred form and by way of example,and many modifications and adaptations will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art without departing'from the spirit of the instantdisclosure. It should be understood, therefore, that the invention isnot limited to any specific form or embodiment except insofar as suchlimitations are specified in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a typographical casting machine wherein the composed line iscarried to and from casting position by a vertically movabletransporter, the combination of a pair of line clamping jaws movable onetoward the other in quadding, mechanism for effecting such quaddingmovement of the jaw, and additional springpowered mechanism to urge thejaw inwardly from its line contacting position to squeeze the linebefore casting and to release the line after casting independently of.the jaw moving mechanism, said additional mechanism including a rotarycam mounted on the main drive shaft of the machine and a cam followertracking on said cam, characterized in that the cam track is extendedand slightly depressed at its trailing end to relax but still maintainthe line squeezing spring pressure through the cam follower before saidpressure is completely released during the initial upward movement ofthe transporter in lifting the line from between the jaws.

2. A combination according to claim 1, wherein the depressed cam trackextension is formed on a shoe which is adjustable to vary the extent ofthe depression.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,893,247 Robison Jan. 3, 1933 1,971,400 Frolander Aug. 28,1934 2,092,220 Mead Sept. 7, 1937 2,255,254 Hilpman Sept. 9, 19412,517,142 Staley Aug. 1, 1950

